OnTreo.com Goes Live

Posted By: Tim Carroll Thursday, November 30, 2006 12:18:31 PM

The "OnTreo" website featured in Palm's new advertisements has gone live. It features an animated streetscape, viewed from a sidewalk cafe table, upon which a Treo 680 performs its various functions - playing music, snapping pictures, overlaying street maps and directions from Google Maps etc.

Considering that this is the centrepiece of Palm's new marketing campaign, it's worth subjecting it to a bit more scrutiny than usual. The site doesn't really live up to expectations: it takes a long time to load up and as with many Flash-based websites is quite taxing on average and older computers.

The more detailed information on the Treo's selling points is buried under a small "Tell Me More" button on the right of the screen, and the animations themselves are quite repetitive. Worse, when you get to the "Tell Me More" page, the Flash interface gets in the way of easy navigation; rather than a list of links or a drop-down box, you must nudge your mouse along an irritating animated sliding menu at the bottom of the page that has a habit of flying off in the wrong direction without warning.

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Can't argue with most opinions in the article but...

SeldomVisitor @ 11/30/2006 4:35:27 PM #

...I thought the home page of ontreo was fun and cool and funny!

Note - I think PALM has to get their act together in addressing the VIRGIN crowd they want to address (anyone independently going to ontreo already KNOWS about TROs, right?).

You know, like a CNN ad that links to this place, or a CBSMarketwatch ad that links here, or Google search that links here.

I have no idea if they're doing that but they need to.

Every time I visit, say, CNN it seems like another Verizon Q ad is in my face.

Shouldn't that be a TREO?

RE: Can't argue with most opinions in the article but...

SeldomVisitor @ 11/30/2006 4:39:31 PM #

Oh for Pete's sake!

When I clciked "Post Comment" I was taken to a page that had...tada!...a Verizon ad in my face!

Giggle.

RE: Can't argue with most opinions in the article but...

SeldomVisitor @ 11/30/2006 6:24:13 PM #

As an aside, possibly important vis-a-vis marketing the TREO, I have to admit I visited ONLY the home page of ontreo...

RE: Can't argue with most opinions in the article but...

freakout @ 12/1/2006 3:52:46 AM #

I like the animations, but the trouble is that with the long loading times, it takes forever to switch between them and it gets boring quick. And is it really necessary for the same slideshow to repeat on the screen of the little 680 down in the corner every single time you go to scroll to the next animation?

It just smacks of wasted opportunity to me. Palm will be probably get plenty of eyeballs thanks to the ads, but this is far from the best way to exploit them.

SV:
I have to admit I visited ONLY the home page of ontreo

There's only two pages - another waste - so you didn't miss much.

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650

Neat

twizza @ 11/30/2006 6:12:29 PM #

As a guy who plays developer on the day times, I like it. Yea it loads slow, but this is really cool.

mobileministrymagazine.com
antoinerjwright.com

Waste of Money, IMO

tj8212 @ 11/30/2006 8:47:50 PM #

With 10 years of experience with Flash design, I can tell you this was a complete waste of money. It does not show the "Treo Experience" in a clear, concise and digestable manner. This is a prime example of just overdoing it with Flash.

RE: Waste of Money, IMO

freakout @ 12/1/2006 3:59:37 AM #

^^ Indeed. Heck, there isn't even a link to buy it on the front page. Crazy.

RE: Waste of Money, IMO

SeldomVisitor @ 12/1/2006 6:34:01 AM #

PALM is opening what HAS to be an UBER-expensive store in downtown Manhattan - I think there was discussion here about it already. Personally, I cannot imagine a WORSE waste of money than that.

Maybe someone woke up at PALM, though - they have a new PR/advertising firm and now have a new SVP of Marketing.

RE: Waste of Money, IMO

jfme @ 12/1/2006 11:46:18 AM #

Personally, the best form of marketing would be an "introductory" $50 rebate/discount on all Treo 680 purchases. But what do I know?, I guess marketing experts think that investing millions on pretty pictures and flashy websites will attract the masses the most.

However, in the US market for any product, price is always the bottom line.

RE: Waste of Money, IMO

SeldomVisitor @ 12/1/2006 1:13:21 PM #

Lol!

It has been kinda surprising that they haven't just bitten the bullet and offered dramatic rebates with those guys, eh?

Let's see...say $100 x 80,000...uh...hmm...

RE: Waste of Money, IMO

jfme @ 12/1/2006 1:33:39 PM #

Well...if you spend $25,000,000+ on a marketing campaign, rebates come cheaper.

RE: Waste of Money, IMO

SeldomVisitor @ 12/1/2006 1:49:36 PM #

Who said ==PALM== was spending $25,000,000 on an advertising campaign?

From the last earnings CC:

== "...Together, Vodafone, Microsoft and Palm will spend nearly $30
== million to market the Treo 750V..."

RE: Waste of Money, IMO

Libra @ 12/1/2006 3:21:37 PM #

The Blackjack TC commercial is far more effective IMO.

Investigate new possibilities...

Waste?

theog @ 12/1/2006 5:50:20 AM #

We are talking about it....

Will it get a digg? I doubt it.

Will it help the setback of a Verizon rep telling you to get all that wonderful experience, you have to fork out an additional $45 a month, on top of your $39 month voice plan? I doubt it.

I believe they also cut out the screen of you falling into hell when you can't get reception or the damn thing resets. I don't doubt this.... I'm sure that version is someplace. Hey, 10 year vet, why don't you code that? Now that would be FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vote for John Kerry... best man for the job.

Apple... please!

rmhurdman @ 12/1/2006 3:07:04 PM #

I'm sure Apple could do a job that would be 10 times ... no 100 times better. Why isn't PALM begging to be bought? Or maybe they're delusional and think their sinking ship is worth more than anyone's willing to pay for it.

RE: Waste?

SeldomVisitor @ 12/1/2006 3:58:22 PM #

The question is NOT whether or not PALM is begging to be bought or being asked to be bought or anything like that.

The question simply is one of price.

Unless there exist TWO crazy companies, Access being one of them, it is quite likely those looking to buy PALM are aiming somewhat lower than the current price.

Greed: Why Palm has not been sold yet.

The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/1/2006 10:35:30 PM #

Why isn't PALM begging to be bought? Or maybe they're delusional and think their sinking ship is worth more than anyone's willing to pay for it.

Palm is "begging to be bought", but their asking price is beyond what the market will bear. Unfortunately, with each passing month Palm's intrinsic value
will continue to decrease as they continue to attempt to sell obsolete hardware and a decrepit OS. Eventually, the company will become a near-worthless property. That tipping point will occur in 2007 as devices from Nokia, Sony Erickson, Motorola, etc. arrive in full force.

TVoR

a Treo 680 performs its various functions...

joad @ 12/2/2006 3:29:52 AM #

> upon which a Treo 680 performs its various functions...

Like what - shutting itself off because the tiny battery ran out of juice? Dropping the bluetooth connection because it "felt like it"? Oh, I guess they probably won't show that aspect of the experience...

RE: a Treo 680 performs its various functions...

freakout @ 12/2/2006 6:20:07 AM #

Probably not. But if you were really keen, you could sit there hitting the Refresh button repeatedly to simulate a reset loop...

the virgin crowd?

matt_laughs @ 12/2/2006 12:03:43 PM #

palm, i read your good at getting it together with the virgin crowd..... i would love to join a crowd of virgins..... on earth tho, and i dont want to commit any jihad to get it, help me out, lets hang.

thats what she said!